After 147 waves surfed over a consecutive 26 hour period in the waters just off Huntington Beach Pier, these were the first words Bill Laity spoke upon putting foot to sand.

Having broken the previously held World Record for longest continuous surf session by well over 2 hours (which had been set in summertime North Carolina, as opposed to the heart of a west coast La Nína winter), Bill’s declaration was more triumphant than smug. There stood before us a waterlogged, sunburnt prune of a man, one that had just logged more continuous hours ensconced within the brine than your average harbor seal. He was a gnarly specimen to behold just then, that much was certain, and his feat was an accomplishment not soon to be matched.

As previously mentioned, the conditions were not exactly ideal. Barring a local shark infestation or the The Queen Anne’s Revenge at full sail with the red flag flying, Bill couldn’t have entered a more adversarial arena in which to complete his task. Unceasing and torrential downpour, violent currents, temperatures in the low forties, and a small craft advisory in effect made certain Bill had no option but to put himself and his gear to the ultimate test; and for 26 straight hours and 147 waves, there was some serious testing going down. It can be said now that both man and equipment will receive an A+ in Applied Endurance Sciences.

Having followed the world’s longest continuous surf session with the world’s longest continuous hot shower (which then segued into what may be the world’s longest continuous nap), no longer the husk of a man he was upon exiting the sea a day previous, a reinvigorated Bill Laity had this to say to say in summation of his accomplishment, “Hey, tide is going to be too high in a few hours. Let’s get on it. It’s about chest high, glassy. Should be fun.”

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Friend of SWELL, the surfing newscaster in the sky, Rick Dickert gave a fly-by at the pier and broke the the Guinness Record breaking story. Those jokers never miss a chance for a good heckling, so they had to slip in a “shrinkage” comment about his 26 hr session